Vermillion
by KHwhitelion
Summary: Tojo couldn't believe it. The little cub he had just met a few months ago... was dead. Killed by his own mate's claws. The Prince of the Pridelands was dead, and he was the father of a killer-to-be.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't normally write spur of the moment stories like this, but I've had this idea for a while, and I was really bored today. Also, I was listening to the song "Vermillion part two" And the tone/lyrics were practically begging me to write this down, so I did. That, and I've been on a TLK binge recently, and wanted to try to write something to accompany the numerous fanart I've been drawing XD**

**So I present to you my first official TLK two-shot!**

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"Zira, please!" Tojo cried, his eyes wide with horrified disbelief as he stared at the lioness before him, "Tell me it's not true!" His azure eyes were frantically searching her face, for a sign that she was lying—pulling his legs as payback for all the trouble he put her through in their youth. Anything….anything at all wound have been better than what she'd told him.

But he found nothing. Nothing at all.

Tears were forming in the corner of his eyes, threatening to fall down his already tortured features. It couldn't….she wouldn't….

"Tell you _what_, Tojo?" Zira echoed, a sickening smile tugging at the solumn grin she forced on her face. This time, he recognized the mockery in his voice, and his heart sank.

"That….that the king's son is…." He murmurmed, a hollow feeling creeping into his chest.

"…._dead_?" His mate finished coldly, the much needed sympathy absent in her voice, "Yes. I killed him."

Tojo's jaw dropped, each word impaling his already breaking heart as the news sank in. Dead. Simba's son was _dead_. The little boy he'd met only months ago….was gone….

"Dammit Zira!" Tojo suddenly roared, the barrier he'd held up breaking as the tears began to fall, "Why? Why would you do this?" His breathing had become erratic; anger and remorse meshing themselves in each angry sob.

Unfazed by her mate's abrupt breakdown, Zira's tail swished nonchalantly. "Why?" She repeated, her tone taking on an almost emotionless air, "I just did what needed to be done. That's all."

"That's all?" Tojo shrieked, unsheathing his claws, "Kopa was a child! The same as your own son, save for a few weeks! What the hell would EVER make you think that—"

"How dare you!" Zira shot back, springing to her feet "Nuka is _nothing_ like that brat! He shares the same blood as Scar!" Fury taking older, Zira's next words were filled with venom, "Kopa had nothing but traitor's blood flowing through his veins!" Her teeth were bared; head lowered in an attack stance.

"So he needed to die? Is that how it works?"

"That fool Simba need to pay for Scar's death! I was merely taking settling the score!" Zira raised her head at this, turning away from the stunned rogue as if to end the conversation.

Suddenly, she found herself on her back, pinned to the ground.

"What the _hell_ are you—"

"Shut up!" The familiar growl of her mate ringing in her ears, "we're not finished here!"

She squirmed uncomfortable at his breath on her neck, but kept her eyes locked with his. "No….I guess we're not." She muttered.

Zira waited for Tojo to make a move—to say something—but he seemed to be struggling with himself—unable to find the right words. A wicked smile graced her lips, recognizing the uneasiness in his eyes. "What are you going to do, Tojo?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper, "you can't kill me; you'll orphan three poor children. And don't for a second think you can raise them by yourself. Kovu and Vitani are far too young, and the son of Scar will never listen to yo—ARGH!"

The pressure of his paws on her upper front legs increased, grinding her back further into the rocky surface. Her eyes tore away from his for a moment out of pain, but when they'd settled back down, she nearly jumped upon realizing he was now nose to nose with her. "I don't want to hear another word about Scar!" Tojo snarled, his claws only centimeters away from piercing her flesh, "Scar is dead! He's been dead for months! You and your sick obsession with him need to stop NOW!"

"Obsession?" Zira cried shrilly, "Scar is the true king of the pride lands! The father of my eldest child! The love of my life! And the victim of a savage attack I needed to exact revenge upon!" She let out a scream, channeling her strength into her upper body and pushing her mate off her. Panting hard, Zira rose to her feet once more, striding over to the defeated Tojo; a turmoil of emotion blazing in her amber eyes.

He tried to growl, tried to regain his authority; but all that escaped his lips was a half-hearted squeak….a sound he hadn't made since cubhood. "I thought…." He half-reminded, half-pleaded with her, "….I thought you loved _me_." Once more he searched her eyes, hoping beyond all hope to find some of that….passion….that devotion….was directed towards him. Yet, as before, he found nothing, and the blue-eyed lion died a little inside.

"I will always. Love. Scar." Zira hissed, glaring at him with a hatred he'd never thought her capable of. This wasn't the lioness he'd known in his youth. And it wasn't the on he'd fallen in love with.

"K….Kovu….Vitani…." he choked, the names of his children rolling off his tongue in result of a sudden thought. Zira cocked her head.

"What _about_ them?" She questioned.

Tojo drew in a breath, trying to steady himself. "Why….with me….when you?" He managed, only half-succeeding in gathering confidence. Everything was happening so fast….falling apart right in front of him….

….and he knew, even before his mate spoke the words he never wanted to hear, that there was nothing he could do about it.

"I was told my next eldest son would be Scar's heir." Zira said simply, as if this were an everyday explanation, "Since his own son….lacked much to be desired." The last word ended with a snarl, the lioness casting a frustrated glance at the cave mouth in which her—their—cubs slept. Tojo knew all too well of Nuka's unusually friendly nature towards the pride landers—he was the one who told Simba of his mother's plight to kill Kopa, after all—but that was no reason to consider the boy a failure. If anything, it would make him a much better and acceptable king. But in the eyes of a lion like Scar….and….Zira….that kind of behavior meant he was flawed. No, the heir they needed had to be trained from infancy to hate the king and all his supporters….

Tojo gasped, everything clicking together. "That...That's the only reason you….you came to me? Because you needed a successor for a lion that isn't even alive?"

Zira said nothing, but there was no mistaking the glint in her eyes.

"NO!" he suddenly shrieked, his long lost confidence returning, "I won't let you use my son for something so—"

"You will do _nothing_!" His mate retaliated harshly. "Kovu is _my_ son, too. And he is far too young to be torn away from his mother."

He would have responded, would have continued to defend the innocent cub. But something in Zira's response caught his attention. "What…what are you say? What do you mean….'torn away?'"

Seeing his expression, Zira sighed, though he expected it was from irritation, rather than sadness. "In a days' time, I am to be banished from the pride lands." Fury flickered across her face, but she kept her emotions in check. "The other followers have already left. I remain only because of the age of my cubs. And to let their father know what was about to happen." She gave him a slight nod, and for a moment, it seemed she had been lying about not having feelings for him.

It lasted only a moment thought; the reality of the situation sinking in. "Well I'm here." He stated callously, "and I know. That's all you need isn't it?"

Her lips pursed. "You….Simba gave you a choice." She said after a moment. "Because you're his friend." She ignored the shocked expression on his face and hastily continued. "Either you come with me—your family—as king of the outlands and be forever banished from his pride….or stay your original course and go wherever it is you were headed. As a rogue. As a lion with no family—no home to return to."

Tojo was unsure whether her words were meant to let on that she wanted him to accompany her, or try to turn him against the king.

When it all came down to it, neither answer mattered.

Because he'd made his decision.

"I will never betray this pride." He informed her, his voice ringing with authority and determination. His brow furrowed, and in that instant, he was taller, stronger, and much more powerful than he'd ever felt in his life. "And I will never follow Scar."

A short silence followed then, both lion and mate locked in a death glare, daring each other to break it, to look away.

Though her gaze never left his, Zira was the first to speak. "So be it." She acknowledged, each word dripping in disdain, "you will never see your children again."

He gulped, but held his ground. "I know," he replied thickly, a dull ache in his chest, "and I'm prepared to deal with that." A hard swallow before adding, "on my own." Tears were prickling in the corners of his eyes, but he held them back. Instead, he turned from her, for what he knew would be the final time. "Good night, Zira." He said softly, jumping down the remainder of the rocks onto the dusty surface of the savannah "and good-bye."

She watched his gaunt form take off; his head held high but body shaking subtly. She thought she heard him sobbing, but it was hard to tell without seeing his face.

"Good-bye, Tojo." she whispered, before heading into the cave to join her cubs. Just before entering, her head turned back in the direction she'd last seen him. In a voice so quiet, not even she could fully hear it, Zira added "and I'm sorry."


	2. Chapter 2

**And here's part two! I wasn't sure about it at first, but I thought it sorta fit with the tone of this story, and it was fun to do besides :D**

**Anyway, enjoy part two!**

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Noticing her approaching, he ducked his head, snapping his eyes shut to give the illusion of being asleep. He didn't know if she'd believe him or not, but anything was better than getting caught eavesdropping. Especially on such an intimate subject. He certainly wished he was asleep; would have saved him from learning facts he knew would forever plague his mind.

His mother killed Kopa. His father thought him unfit as an heir. And Tojo, the lion he'd taken in as a foster father, was abandoning him. Abandoning all of them.

He wanted to cry—indeed, sadness was building up in his throat—but he didn't dare. For he knew what would happen if he did. If the interaction with Tojo was any indication, his mother as not in a very forgiving mood. Best to let her think he was sound asleep like the others—save himself any trouble before the long and difficult journey he'd just learned was ahead of them. Without a pride leader, it was up to him to prove to his mother that his father was, in fact, wrong about him. That he could be the strong one. That he could be the figure in charge, if only given the chance. And more than anything else—to get on her good side, in case she felt the need to dish out the same type of punishment she'd given his friend.

There was a shuffling of feet, then a soft 'thump' as his mother settled down beside him.

"Good night, my little prince." He heard her murmur, with a fond and tenderness that was not directed at himself.

_Good night, mother, _he thought, curling tighter around himself, trying not to imagine her fussing over his little brother. It was sickening. And it wasn't fair.

_I should be the chosen one_, he told himself, bitterly, a single tear trickling down his nose.

Uttering a barely audible sigh, he rolled over so that he was facing the cave door.

He didn't want to say he hated her for what she'd done; she was his mother.

But he would never forgive her. And he'd never forgive his father—both of them—either.

Holding back a sob, Nuka's eyes opened, taking the surroundings of his home one last time. He couldn't prevent his father from looking down on him. Couldn't prevent his best friend's death. Nor could he stop Tojo from leaving.

But he knew who could.

The one who could have—should have—stepped up to the plate and stopped fate from screwing him over while he had the chance.

Simba.

The king of Pride Rock.

If he had been there from the start, none of this would have happened. Scar wouldn't denounce him from being heir—he wouldn't even be hier to begin with—Kopa would still be alive if he had gotten there in time….and Tojo would never had to make the choice of staying true to his childhood friend or sticking to his family.

_ Well, I'll make him pay,_ the cub thought darkly, his eyelids growing heavy, _someday….somehow….I'll make him sorry._

With that last thought floating through his head, Nuka closed his eyes drifting into the last comfortable sleep he'd have for a good long time.

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**And this is why I think Nuka is the way he is. Well, sort of, anyway. I'm not entirely sure WHY I wrote the second part; I guess I just wanted to write something with Nuka lol. Still, I hope it wasn't a waste of time to you readers :D **


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